A fresh start in springtime

Painting advice from someone who knows

As spring is welcomed into our lives this year (as much as or perhaps more than at any point in recent memory), so too comes the annual evaluation of what needs to be done around the exterior and interior of one’s home.

Often at the top of the list of spring “to do” projects is painting. Whether outside or inside, painting is one of those items that can make a huge difference for the home both from a protection and a beautification standpoint.

When undertaking any painting project there are a number of things that one should keep in mind during the planning process. Should you hire a painter or do it yourself? This is a great question. The answer will obviously lie in your comfort level in embarking on things. 

If you ultimately decide on hiring a contractor, due diligence is necessary to make sure you end up working with someone whom you are as comfortable with as possible and who has a program in place that will viably guarantee the work that is done for as long as possible.

If you decide this is a project that you can certainly handle, it is best to do as much research as possible – via the internet, library or your local paint or hardware store – to ensure that you approach things correctly in order to generate the desired results.

How should you approach things if you believe there to be lead paint on your home? If there is even a chance of lead paint being on your home (any painted structure associated with your home in place prior to 1978), it is best to approach things as if lead were present when you are proceeding with the painting process. You can always get the surface that is being painted tested by a professional lead testing company if you would like to know for sure, but if you approach the project as if there were lead paint on the surface, you will certainly be doing a prudent thing.

If you find yourself in this situation and decide to hire a contractor to help you navigate things as safely as possible, it is important that the contractor is properly licensed and follows federal and/or local “Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP)” regulations.

If you would like to take care of this type of project on your own, it is significant that you do it as properly as possible, following appropriate research to make sure that you approach the project in a way that is the safest and most suitable for all involved.

What is the advantage of using “Green” or “Low/No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)” paint products for your project? There has been a trend in recent years by many paint manufacturers to develop products that are more environmentally friendly. These products are often referred to as “Green” or “Low/No VOC”.  Although much more available with regard to interior projects than exterior ones, “Green” or “Low/No VOC” products allow the painting environment to have a much lower odor and less impact on air quality than traditional paint products. The “Green” or “Low/No VOC” products have advanced to the point where they are just as durable, if not more so, than many other options that may be on the market. The costs of “Green” or “Low/No VOC” lines are similar to what one might expect to pay for products that are not as ecologically conscious.

Painting can be a fun and gratifying event that is capable of really making a huge difference in both shielding one’s home from the elements and, at the same time, restoring painted surfaces to more attractive appearances. Spring is a tremendous time of the year to paint the outside or inside of  your home. Proper planning when painting is necessary to make sure the end result and the process itself come out as close as possible to what one initially envisioned and enjoys.

TOM LOPATOSKY has run his own painting and contracting business in Providence, R.I. for 20 years and is president of LOPCO Contracting, the “Professional, Personable, Particular Painters,” a company that specializes in exterior painting, interior painting and carpentry.